Chapter X.—By a comparison drawn from
the wild olive-tree, whose quality but not whose nature is changed by grafting,
he proves more important things; he points out also that man without the Spirit
is not capable of bringing forth fruit, or of inheriting the kingdom of God.

1. This truth,
therefore, [he declares], in order that we may not reject the engrafting
of the Spirit while pampering the flesh. “But thou, being a wild
olive-tree,” he says, “hast been grafted into the good
olive-tree, and been made a partaker of the fatness of the
olive-tree.”45124512Rom. xi. 17. As, therefore, when the
wild olive has been engrafted, if it remain in its former condition,
viz., a wild olive, it is “cut off, and cast into the
fire;”45134513Matt. vii. 19. but if it takes kindly to
the graft, and is changed into the good olive-tree, it becomes a
fruit-bearing olive, planted, as it were, in a king’s park
(paradiso): so likewise men, if they do truly progress by faith
towards better things, and receive the Spirit of God, and bring forth the
fruit thereof, shall be spiritual, as being planted in the paradise of
God. But if they cast out the Spirit, and remain in their former
condition, desirous of being of the flesh rather than of the Spirit, then
it is very justly said with regard to men of this stamp, “That
flesh and blood shall not inherit the kingdom of God;”451445141 Cor. xv.
50. just as if any one were to say that the wild
olive is not received into the paradise of God. Admirably therefore does
the apostle exhibit our nature, and God’s universal appointment, in
his discourse about flesh and blood and the wild olive. For as the good
olive, if neglected for a certain time, if left to grow wild and to run
to wood, does itself become a wild olive; or again, if the wild olive be
carefully tended and grafted, it naturally reverts to its former
fruit-bearing condition: so men also, when they become careless, and
bring forth for fruit the lusts of the flesh like woody produce, are
rendered, by their own fault, unfruitful in righteousness. For when men
sleep, the enemy sows the material of tares;45154515Matt. xiii. 25. and for this cause did the Lord command His disciples to be on
the watch.45164516Matt. xxiv. 42, Matt. xxv. 13;
Mark xiii. 33. And again, those persons
who are not bringing forth the fruits of righteousness, and are, as it
were, covered over and lost among brambles, if they use diligence, and
receive the word of God as a graft,45174517Jas. i. 21. arrive at
the pristine nature of man—that which was created after the image
and likeness of God.

2. But as the engrafted wild olive does not certainly
lose the substance of its wood, but changes the quality of its fruit, and
receives another name, being now not a wild olive, but a fruit-bearing
olive, and is called so; so also, when man is grafted in by faith and
receives the Spirit of God, he certainly does not lose the substance of
flesh, but changes the quality of the fruit [brought forth, i.e.,] of his
works, and receives another name,45184518Rev. ii. 17. showing
that he has become changed for the better, being now not [mere] flesh and
blood, but a spiritual man, and is called such. Then, again, as the wild olive, if it be
not grafted in, remains useless to its lord because of its woody quality,
and is cut down as a tree bearing no fruit, and cast into the fire; so
also man, if he does not receive through faith the engrafting of the
Spirit, remains in his old condition, and being [mere] flesh and blood,
he cannot inherit the kingdom of God. Rightly therefore does the apostle
declare, “Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of
God;”451945191
Cor. xv. 50. and, “Those who are in the
flesh cannot please God:”45204520Rom. viii. 8. not
repudiating [by these words] the substance of flesh, but showing that
into it the Spirit must be infused.45214521 The Latin has, “sed infusionem Spiritus
attrahens.” And for this reason, he says, “This
mortal must put on immortality, and this corruptible must put on
incorruption.”452245221 Cor. xv. 53. And again he declares,
“But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the
Spirit of God dwell in you.”45234523Rom. viii. 9. He sets
this forth still more plainly, where he says, “The body indeed is
dead, because of sin; but the Spirit is life, because of righteousness.
But if the Spirit of Him who raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you,
He that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal
bodies, because of His Spirit dwelling in you.”45244524Rom. viii. 10,
etc. And again he says, in the Epistle to the Romans,
“For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die.”45254525Rom. viii.
13. [Now by these words] he does not prohibit them
from living their lives in the flesh, for he was himself in the flesh
when he wrote to them; but he cuts away the lusts of the flesh, those
which bring death upon a man. And for this reason he says in
continuation, “But if ye through the Spirit do mortify the works of
the flesh, ye shall live. For whosoever are led by the Spirit of God,
these are the sons of God.”